Dr. Juan Ubaldo Sosa Almonte, a physician and lawyer, unveiled his new book Blindaje Médico‑Legal: Tratado Práctico para la Prevención y Gestión del Riesgo Médico‑Legal en el Sistema de Salud Dominicano in Santo Domingo. The presentation, held at a local conference on health law, focused on the growing trend of medical litigation in the Dominican Republic and the need for preventive measures within health institutions. Sosa Almonte said that the increasing number of lawsuits against doctors and health facilities poses a significant challenge to the national health system. “The most pressing issue facing the Dominican Republic’s health system is the judicialization of medical practice,” he told attendees. He warned that without organized responses, hospitals and clinics could face serious economic and legal consequences from civil, patrimonial, and criminal claims. The book aims to provide practical tools for identifying, preventing, and managing legal risks that arise during the delivery of health services. It is intended for doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, administrative staff, and health administrators. Sosa Almonte emphasized that prevention must involve all members of the health workforce, not just physicians. “There can be no effective risk management without the participation of nurses, bioanalysts, porters, and administrative personnel,” he said. Key topics covered in the treatise include professional and institutional responsibility, informed consent, medical record documentation, communication between professionals and patients, and the handling of complaints, incidents, and adverse events. The book also addresses risks in specific areas such as dentistry, surgery, nursing, pharmacy, bioanalysis, obstetrics, neonatology, transfusion medicine, and aesthetic medicine. Additional sections discuss pre‑hospital services, residency programs, public and private sectors, health risk administrators (ARS), regulatory compliance, telemedicine, social media, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. Sosa Almonte highlighted that the book contains protocols, risk matrices, checklists, case studies, and evaluation tools designed to help health institutions implement preventive measures. He argued that proper documentation, traceability of actions, effective communication, and verification of procedures can demonstrate compliance with professional and institutional responsibilities, thereby reducing the likelihood of legal claims. The presentation concluded with a call for a culture of prevention, responsibility, and regulatory compliance to strengthen patient safety and public confidence in the Dominican health system.
Article source: De Ultimo Minuto | Image credit: De Ultimo Minuto